Barge



H. J STIMSON Feb. 27, 1962 BARGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 19, 1959 INVENTOR HOMER J. STIMSON ATTORNEY H. J. STIMSON Feb. 27, 1962 BARGE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 l T .1. m

INVENTOR ER J. STNSON Filed Oct. 19. 1959 ATTORNEY Feb. 27, 1962 H. J. STIMSON 3,022,633

BARGE Filed 001?. 19. 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IOI INVENTOR HOMER J. v STIMSON BY WWM$W ATTORNEY United States harem a? 3,022,633 BARGE Homer J. Stimson, 4827 Spellman Road, Houston, Tex. Filed Oct. 19, 1959, Ser. No. 847,158 4 Claims. (Cl. 6146.5)

This invention relates to marine vessels. More particularly, this invention relates to a barge constructed to have stability that provides for eflicient performance of various jobs on the barge, such as drilling for oil, laying pipe on the bottom, and the like.

Heretofore, various barge designs have been proposed for conducting off-shore operations. Some have been designed for mooring on location with a plurality of anchors. But, due to wind, waves and currents the barge is moved from the desired location. Such barges have failed to provide the stable platform necessary for many operations, such as drilling for oil and laying pipelines.

Other prior drilling barges have been designed for fiood ing so that the barge sinks to the bottom with the entire barge resting on the bottom. en barges, considerable time and power are required to pump the water from the flooded compartments to refloat the barge.

The present invention resides in the concept of a barge constructed to provide a stable work platform at desired locations and also be conveniently and readily movable to new locations.

Briefly stated, the barge of the present invention includes a hull enclosing a buoyancy chamber. ing boom is secured to the hull and extends for a substantial distance outwardly from the hull. A work platform is pivotally mounted on the hull for supporting various devices, such as oil drilling rigs, pipelines and equipment for handling the pipeline, oil and gas separators, and the like. Valves are provided for flooding compartments formed in the boom for lowering the outermost end of the boom to contact the bottom or bed beneath the body of water. So that the work platform can be maintained substantially horizontal when the boom is pivoted downwardly, mechanism is provided for pivoting the Work platform with respect to the hull.

For a better understanding of the invention and its other objects, advantages and details, reference is now made to the present preferred embodiment of the invention which is shown, for purposes of illustration only, in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

. FIG. 1 is an elevation of a barge according to the invention shown moored on location for off-shore oil well drilling with the stabilizing boom lowered into contact with the bottom;

FIG. 2 is an elevation of the barge shown in FIG. 1

' with the stabilizing boom elevated to position for move ment of the barge to or from port or to a new location;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section, on an enlarged scale, of the slidable connection betwen the work platform and the derrick frame of the barge shown in FIGS. 1 and 2; and,

FIG. 4 is a horizontal section through the barge illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, shown with the oil-drilling rig removed and with the work platform broken away.

Referring to the drawings, the barge floats in a body of water 9 and includes a hull 10 enclosing buoyancy chambers, a stabilizing boom 12 rigidly secured to the hull 10 and extending outwardly therefrom, a work platform 14 pivotally connected by a shaft 16 to the hull 10, and a pair of derricks 18 for pivoting the work platform 14 relative to the hull 10.

The hull 10 includes sides. bottom, and transverse bulkheads to form buoyancy chambers or tanks 30, 32, and 34. A pair of support arms 36 and 38 extend upwardly In order to move these sunk- A stabiliz- I. 3,022,533 Patented Feb. 27, 1962 from the forward end of bull 10. A shaft 16 extends through the main deck 40 of platform 14 and has its opposite ends rotatably journaled in bearings 42 and 44 mounted at the upper ends of support arms 36 and 38, respectively.

To support the heavy loads which are placed on the deck 40, a truss 46 is provided beneath the deck 40 and includes beams and cross braces. An oil well drilling rig 48 is mounted on deck 40. Deckhouse 50 is also mounted on deck 40 to provide for storage of machinery and living quarters for the crew.

Referring particularly to FIG. 3, in order to position the work platform 14, a pair of rollers 52 are rotatably mounted on stub shafts 54 extending from opposite edges of deck 40. The rollers 52 are slidably received in tracks or channel members 56 that are curved lengthwise but U-shaped in cross section. Each track 56 is secured to the framework of a derrick 18. While only one derrick 13 is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, there are two derricks symmetrically located on opposite sides of deck 40. Each derrick 18 includes a derrick mast 60 having its lower end secured to tank 62, a beam 64 secured at its upper end to mast 60 and at its lower end to lower deck 66 supported by braces 68 above hull 10. The lower deck extends from the support arms 36 and 38 aft to the tanks 7e jointed at their upper ends to tanks 62. Cross braces 74 extend between the beam 64 and the derrick mast 60 further to strengthen the derrick 18.

To cause pivoting of work platform 14 with respect to hull 10, a flexible cable 30 extends from pad eye 82 fastened to the upper surface of the main deck 40, around upper pulley S4 rotatably mounted at the upper end of mast 60, around sheave 86 driven by winch 88, around lower pulley 90 rotatably mounted at the lower end of mast 60, and to pad eye 92 fastened to the lower surface of main deck 40.

An anchor chain 94 extends from anchor Windlass 96 located on lower deck 66 to a conventional anchor. Four such anchor chains, with anchors, can be employed to obtain a four-point mooring of the barge.

The stabilizing boom 12 includes a pair of legs 100 and 101 in the form of hollow cylindrical tanks attached to opposite sides of hull 10. The legs 100 and 101 are inclined downwardly with respect to the upper edge of hull 10. A bulkhead 102 divides each leg 100 and 101 into a tank 103 and a tank 104. A forward transverse tank 105 extends between the legs 100 and 101. A transverse tank 106 extends between the lower ends of tanks 70. Another transverse tank 108 extends between the lower ends of tanks 62. Three aft boom tanks 110 extend between the outermost ends of legs 100 and 101. These boom tanks 110 are hollow, sealed and cylindrical, as are the other tanks. A pair of guy wires 112 extend from ends of legs 100 and 101 to the derrick masts 60.

A pair of sleds 114 are secured at spaced positions at the outermost end of boom 12 and are connected by braces 116 and 118 to the tanks 110 and legs 100 and 101. The sleds provide for sliding engagement of the stabilizing boom 12 with bottom or bed 120 at the bottom of body of water 9. A fin 122 extends from the lower surface of each sled 114 for digging into the bottom 120 and firmly locating the barge. The fins 122 can be removed when the barge is to be used for pipe laying and steady movement of the barge is required.

To transport the barge to and from port and between various locations, the boo-m 12 is raised to the position shown in FIG. 2. The flooded tanks are emptied by pumping the water from the various tanks. Submersible pumps, or air pressure lines, not shown in the drawings, can be used for forcing the water out of the tanks. Then the barge is towed to the desired location. The tanks o and buoyancy chambers 30, 32 and 34 have appropriate valves for flooding by admitting water thereto.

When the barge reaches a desired location, the anchors are dropped to form a mooring. Then the tanks are flooded in the following order: tanks 119, tanks 104, tank 168, tanks 103, tank 106, tanks 62 and chamber 34. The stabilizing boom 12 and hull swing or rotate downwardly until the fins 122 dig into the bottom. Simultaneously with the flooding of the tanks, the winch 88 is operated to pivot the work platform 14 around the pivotal shaft 16 to maintain the work platform substantially horizontal. When the sleds 114 are touching the bottom the barge is maintained relatively stable.

Various devices can be mounted on the work platform 14. Among these are a crane for construction work,

- oil-and gas separators, and pipe line and rollers to support and feed the pipe line. When the barge is used for pipe line laying, a stanchion with rollers can be mounted on the boom I2 to support the pipe being fed from the barge. The barge of the invention can be employed for various uses. .Among such uses are: drilling for oil, both exploration and exploitation drilling; construction and fabrication work necessary and-incident to drilling and pro ducing oilor gas; pipe line construction and repair work; and off-shore oil storage and testing. When the barge is employed for oil storage, oil storage tanks can be connected between the. boomlegs 10d and 101.

Thus it will be seen that the invention provides a barge that is conveniently movable between locations and. has stability at each location.

While. a present preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be recog- 4 that can be both flooded and emptied; controllable means for flooding and emptying said tank space with said hull remaining in floating position While said boom swings between a substantially horizontal position and a lower position engaging the bottom beneath the body of water; and, means for swinging said platform about said pivot in conformity to the swinging of said hull and stabilizing boom to maintain said platform substantially level and above the water surface.

3. A barge comprising a floatable hull for buoyantly supporting a barge upon the surface of a body of water; a working platform pivotally mounted above said hull and supported by said hull, said platform being adapted for supporting devices; a swingable stabilizing boom rigidly connected to said hull and extending lengthwise from one side of said hullfor a distance at least as great as the length of said hull measured in the same direction, the pivotal axis of said platform being substantially horizontal and transverse of the lengthwise dimension of said boom; said hull and said boom being constructed with tank space that can be both flooded and emptied; controllable means for flooding and emptying said tank space with said hull remaining in floating position while said boom swings between a substantially horizontal position and a lower position engaging the bottom beneath a body of water; a derrick mounted on said hull and extending upwardly therefrom; an upper pulley rotatably mounted on said derrick above said working platform; a lower pulley rotatably mounted on said derrick below said Working platform; a flexible connector rove around said upper and lower pulleys, said flexible connector being fixedly-secured to said work platform; and, driving means 7 mounted on said working platform and engaging said nized that the invention can be otherwise variously embodied and practiced within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A barge comprising a floatable hull for buoyantly supporting the barge upon the surface of a body of water; a working platform pivotally mounted above said hull and supported by said hull, said platform being adapted for supporting devices; a, swingable stabilizing boom rigidly connected to said hull and extending lengthwise from one side of said hull for a distance at least as great as the length of said hull measured in the same direction the pivotal axis of said platform being substantially horizontal and transverse of the lengthwise dimension of said boom; said hull and said boom being constructed with tank space that can be both flooded and emptied; controllable means for flooding and emptying said tank space with said hull remaining in floating position while said boom swings between a substantially 'horizontal position and a lower position engaging the bottom beneath the body of water; and, means for swinging said platform about said pivot in conformity to the swinging of said hull and stabilizing boom to maintain said platform substantially level and above the water surface.

2. A barge comprising a floatable hull for buoyantly supporting the barge upon the surface of a body of water; a working platform pivotally mounted above said hull and supported by said hull, said platform being adapted for supporting devices; a swingable stabilizing boom rigidly connected to said hull and extending lengthwise from one side of said hull for a distance at least as great as the length of said hull measured in the same direction, the pivotal axis of said platform being substantially horizontal and transverse of the lengthwise dimension of said boom, one portion of said platform extending laterally beyond the hull at a position opposite- 1y disposed across said hull from said projecting boom; said hull and said boo-m being constructed with tank space flexible connector for moving said flexible connector around said pulleys and pivoting said working platform relatively to said hull in conforniity to the swinging of said hull and stabilizing boom to maintain said working platform substantially level and above-the water surface.

4. A barge comprisinga floatable. hull for buoyantly supporting the barge upon the surface of a body of water; a working platform pivotally mounted above said hull and supported by said hull, said platform being adapted for supporting devices; a swingable stabilizing boom rigidly connected to said hull andextending lengthwise from one side of said hull for a distance at least as great as the length of said hull measured in the same direction, the pivotal axis of said platform being sub-f stantially horizontal and transverse of the lengthwise dimension "of said boom; said hull and said boom being constructed with tank space that'can be both flooded and emptied; controllable means for flooding and emptying said tank space with said hull remaining in floating position while said boom swingsbetween a substantially horizontal position'and a lower position engaging the bottom beneath a body of water; a curved track supported on said hull and extendingupwardly therefrom; a follower member secured to said working platform. and extending into said track; and, means for swinging said platform about said pivot with said follower moving along said track, said platform moving in conformity to the swinging of said hull and stabilizing boom to maintain said platform substantially level and above the water surface.

References Cited in the file of this patent- UNITED STATES PATENTS 

